About the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation

More than just a football club, the Western Bulldogs have a long and proud history as the Community Club of the AFL; delivering community programs with real outcomes.

The Club is central to the community of Victoria’s west, and we play a pivotal role in helping our people reach their full potential, and ensuring they are accepted regardless of their gender, race or faith.

We celebrate diversity as an integral part of a united and cohesive community and aim to engage with multicultural, indigenous and all abilities communities via innovative programs.

The Foundation is works closely with the club and utilises the Bulldogs brand as a platform to engage a wide range of participants and positively influence their lives.

We deliver innovative and engaging community services for individuals and families who live and work in the west.

Like our players, our community is courageous, strong and resilient, but for some, support is needed to guide them, to empower them in finding the strength they need to face life’s challenges, and to overcome fear and doubt.

Our Vision

A thriving community where everyone matters.

Our Mission

Our mission is that of the football club's, "to be the community where people are at their best."

Foundation Services & STREAMS

The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation works with the community for the community and delivers services to over 5,000 people across four streams annually:

Health & Wellbeing

Sporting clubs have a unique ability to achieve change in their communities. In line with this, the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation leverages the power of sport, in association with a range of health and community partners, to promote individuals to live happier and healthier lives. Our Health & Wellbeing stream aims to address some of the predominant health concerns through the development of facilitated health pathways, co-branded health networks and co-designed health and wellbeing programs. These health programs are extensive health promotion and behaviour change programs developed to leverage key entities from across the health, sport, education, corporate and government sectors. Our overall aim is to address worrying health standards among men and women living and working in Victoria’s west.

The Sons of the West Men’s health program (SOTW) is a leading health initiative supporting men to lead healthier lives and tackling the alarming health statistics across Melbourne’s west. It provides a platform for these men to explore the many facets of health and engage in activities to improve overall health and wellbeing. Using the power of the Western Bulldogs brand, SOTW has demonstrated an ability to engage a typical hard-to reach demographic and deliver a program that achieves real health outcomes. Over 1100 men go through Sons of the West men’s health program each year across 17 locations in western Victoria, many with complex health challenges, who have committed to making the rest of their life the best of their life.

SOTW program is offered throughout the year via three 10 week programs throughout the year (Preseason, Premiership Season and Leadership Academy) in addition to a newly introduced concept ‘the Locker Room’ a group therapy program run in conjunction with Victoria University Psychology clinic.

The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation has offered men’s health program, Sons of the West, since 2014 and will be launching its counterpart, Daughters of the West, in October

Diversity & Social Inclusion

Our Social Inclusion & Diversity stream aims to build self-reliant and connected communities that participate in and contribute back to our diverse society.

For generations, Melbourne’s west has been the first place that hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Australia have called home. Our region has among Australia’s highest rates of overseas born and is the most culturally diverse area in state. People from more than 130 different nations have made their new home in Melbourne’s west. We also have a significant indigenous population in the Western suburbs as well as Western Victoria. We celebrate diversity as an integral part of a united and cohesive community and aim to engage with multicultural, indigenous and all abilities communities via innovative programs.

Our Ready SETTLE Go Program enables over 2,000 migrants and refugees each year to successfully integrate and contribute to our community. it aims to facilitate a self-reliant and connected community participating in and contributing to the Australian society. The program supports new Australians in accessing mainstream services through utilising the unifying power of recreational activities and sports as the conduit to introduce Australian culture and values whilst promoting personal wellbeing and social connectedness. The program offers a range of community focused health education, leadership, youth and employability programs in the light of meaningful partnerships and referral pathways with organisations and services in the West.

Youth Leadership & Development

Our Youth Leadership & Development programs provide young people with hands on opportunities to become engaged in a learning pathway and grow as social leaders. Dedicated to shaping our future leaders, these programs support young people go through a journey of self-awareness, social awareness and ultimately community impact. These programs annually support over 200 young people to draw on their resilience and energy to lead and solve the problems of their own community.

Established in 2013Western Bulldogs Leadership Project (formerly Whitten project) is a dynamic youth leadership program delivered by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation in partnership with local councils and other stakeholders. The free program is available to males and females in Year 9 or 10 who live in Victoria’s west. The intensive 6-month program offers practical and theory based activities designed to enhance participant’s capacities in; leadership, teamwork, communication, goal setting, support networks, resilience and community engagement. It uses the Western Bulldogs Football Club as a vehicle to inspire, educate and mentor leaders for social change Victoria’s West by providing nominated young people with an exciting range of life, civic and sport experiences in which to learn and develop from.

Our other youth leadership development programs include Camp Bulldog and Nallei-Jerring Koori Youth Leadership Project. In future, we have plans to pilot a Social Entrepreneurship Program and a Youth Employment Pathways Program for young people in the West- 14-16 Age Group.

Community Advocacy

We believe in, stand for, and work to promote community harmony. We work with the entire community to promote inclusiveness and equality for all, regardless of race, faith, gender or disability. We facilitate health and well-being events, family days, VFL carnivals, and CALDPlay Gala events as well as participating in other key community events in the west.

Over 20 community Engagement Events a year

Over 10,000 Total engagements annually

Supporting AFL themed rounds such as Indigenous round, multicultural round and White Ribbon Games to address social issues

Leveraging VFL/AFLW games to utilise VU Whitten Oval as a community hub for diverse and positive community interaction

Over 50 volunteers contributing over 5000 volunteer hours each year

Cultural Diversity AND Inclusion Statement

The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. We are striving to further increase multicultural, Indigenous, and all-abilities involvement across our programs. Our services and programs welcome all participants regardless of language, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, religion, health or disability or socioeconomic background.

"We acknowledge that we are on traditional lands of the Kulin nation. We offer our respect to the Elders of these traditional lands, and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples past and present." - Acknowledgement of Country

Commitment to Child Safety

Our Club is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We want children to be safe, happy and empowered. We work to listen, empower, support and respect all children and young people, as well as our employees, contractors and volunteers.

We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently. We are committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.

We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

Our Club has robust human resources and recruitment practices for all employees, contractors and volunteers. We committed to training and educating our employees and volunteers on child abuse risks.

We promote diversity and tolerance in our Club, and people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are welcome. We are committed to promoting cultural safety for Aboriginal children, cultural safety for children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.